Gogo Earns 777, A330 Supplemental Type Certificates

Inflight connectivity provider Gogo has added two approvals that clear the way for expansion of its intercontinental aircraft installations under deals with Delta Air Lines and Japan Airlines (JAL).

The FAA has granted Gogo supplemental type certificates for installing its Ku-band satellite service on certain Boeing777s and AirbusA330s. The 777 approval was accompanied by Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification, clearing the way for Gogo to outfit JAL’s 18 777-200s. The carrier also has signed up for Gogo service on its domestic fleet.

The A330 certification is another step in Gogo’s work to equip Delta’s international fleet, allowing testing to begin before the service is rolled out on the Airbus twins.

Gogo says it is “in the final phases of customer testing” on Delta’s Boeing 747-400s, the first fleet type being modified as part of an agreement announced in 2012. Gogo expects to have Delta’s 16 747s outfitted by mid-year, and will complete Delta’s international fleet—including its 777s, 767s, some 757s, and the A330s—by 2016. Delta’s 777s are configured differently than the JAL aircraft and therefore need a separate STC.

Delta already has Gogo service on its entire domestic fleet.

Gogo ended 2013 with 2,032 commercial aircraft online, or 12% more than a year earlier. The company’s average monthly service revenue per aircraft was $8,970. The service’s “take rate,” or average percentage of users on a given flight, was 6.9%.